Going to Italy or simply want to impress your Italian (and non-Italian) friends with your language genius? Or are you studying to speak the beautiful language and want some useful Italian proverbs to practice on?
Then we’ve got you covered with this list of 60 Italian sayings you might find useful in every situation – complete with English translation and their meanings.
Useful Italian Sayings with English Translation and Meanings
1. “Tutte le strade conducono a Roma.”
English: “All roads lead to Rome.”
Meaning: This Italian saying means that the same outcome can be achieved by many methods. This was literally true back in the Roman Empire, when Rome was positioned in the center and all roads radiated out from it.
2. “La gatta frettolosa ha fatto i gattini ciechi.”
English: “Haste makes waste.” Literally, “The hasty cat gave birth to blind kittens.”
Meaning: Doing something in a big hurry results in mistakes that cause time, effort, materials, and others to be wasted.
3. “Batti il ferro finché è caldo.”
English: “Strike the iron while it’s hot.”
Meaning: This Italian proverb advises to do something right away or while there is still a good chance to do it.
4. “Ogni muro è una porta.”
English: “Every wall is a door.”
Meaning: For every obstacle in life, there is always a way over it, around it, and/or through it. That’s what this Italian proverb says.
5. “Chi dorme non piglia pesci.”
English: “You snooze, you lose.” Literally, “Who sleeps catches no fish.”
Meaning: One cannot achieve anything without effort; no action means nothing good happening. This Italian saying means if you do not pay attention, you miss the opportunities that come.
6. “Meglio tardi che mai.”
English: “Better late than never.”
Meaning: When you have done something that should have been done earlier, it’s better than not doing it at all.
7. “Tempo al tempo.”
English: “All in good time.” Literally, “Time to time.”
Meaning: This Italian saying is used when telling someone to be patient because the thing they are waiting for will come at the right time.
8. “Meglio poco che niente.”
English: “Something’s better than nothing.” Literally, “Better little than nothing.”
Meaning: If one says something is better than nothing, they mean that it is not what is required or needed, but it is preferable to nothing at all.
9. “Il mattino ha l’oro in bocca.”
English: “The early bird catches the worm.” Literally, “The morning has gold in its mouth.”
Meaning: This Italian proverb means that if you want to succeed in something, you should start doing it as early as you can. Those who start off before others accomplish more and get the best opportunities.
10. “Tutto è bene ciò che finisce bene.”
English: “All’s well that ends well.”
Meaning: It means that you have successfully achieved your goal after going through hardships and everything turns out good as intended. In short, if a work is done, then everything is good.
11. “Non rimandare a domani quello che puoi fare oggi.”
English: “There’s no time like the present.” Literally, “Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”
Meaning: This Italian saying is used to emphasize that you should not delay doing something you can do right away.
12. “Tutto fa brodo.”
English: “Anything goes.” Literally, “Everything makes broth.”
Meaning: Every little thing counts/helps. Anything is acceptable.
13. “Far di una mosca un elefante.”
English: “To make a mountain out of a molehill.” Literally, “To make an elephant out of a fly.”
Meaning: It means to exaggerate the significance of something trivial.
14. “Nessuna nuova, buona nuova.”
English: “No news is good news.”
Meaning: If one doesn’t hear anything about a situation, it is probably because nothing bad has happened. And that is good news, right?
15. “Le notizie brutte si sanno subito.”
English: “Bad news is immediately known.”
Meaning: This Italian proverb hows exactly why no news is good news.
16. “I frutti proibiti sono i più dolci.”
English: “Forbidden fruit is the sweetest.”
Meaning: It means that people are naturally drawn to things that they cannot have.
The origin of this saying comes from the Bible when God forbade Adam from eating one particular fruit in the Garden of Eden. However, the serpent convinced Adam and his wife Eve that the said fruit was the sweetest and so they must try it.
Of course they gave in, and that’s how they got evicted from Eden.
17. “Non si può avere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca.”
English: “You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.” Literally, “You can’t have a full cask and a drunk wife.”
Meaning: It means you can’t enjoy or do two good things at the same time. You must choose between two desirable things or opportunities, but each one has its advantages and disadvantages.
18. “Occhio non vede, cuore non duole.”
English: “Out of sight, out of mind.” Literally, “Eye does not see, heart does not hurt.”
Meaning: It means that you soon forget people or things that you do not see for a period of time.
19. “La mamma dei cretini è sempre incinta.”
English: “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Literally, “The mother of idiots is always pregnant.”
Meaning: You say it in dismay, referring to an idiot you meet or someone who acts like one.
20. “L’erba del vicino è sempre più verde.”
English: “The grass is always greener on the other side.” Literally, “Neighbor’s grass is always greener.”
Meaning: It means that other people’s lives or situations always seem better than one’s own.
21. “Non è tutt’oro ciò che luccica.”
English: “All that glitters is not gold.”
Meaning: It means not everything that looks true or precious (like gold) turns out to be so. Looks are deceiving.
22. “L’abito non fa il monaco.”
English: “Clothes don’t make the man.” Or, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Literally, “The clothes do not make the monk.”
Meaning: Similar to #21, looks can be quite deceiving. You cannot accurately judge a person solely based on appearances.
23. “Fare polpette di qualcuno.”
English: “To make mincemeat of someone.” Literally, “To make meatballs of someone.”
Meaning: To destroy, ruin, or defeat someone easily or completely in a fight, contest, or argument.
24. “Ai mali estremi, estremi rimedi.”
English: “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” Literally, “Extreme evils, extreme remedies.”
Meaning: In adverse situations, actions that might have not been accepted otherwise may become the best choice. If a problem is harsh, then the solution should be just as heavy.
25. “Non vendere la pelle dell’orso prima di averlo ucciso.”
English: “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.” Literally, “Don’t sell the bear’s skin before it’s killed.”
Meaning: You should not depend on something hoped for until you know for sure that it will happen.
26. “Finché c’è vita, c’è speranza.”
English: “While there’s life, there’s hope.”
Meaning: So long as someone or something is alive, any bad situation still has a chance of getting better. This is similar to another Italian proverb, “La speranza è l’ultima a morire,” which literally means that “hope is the last one to die.”
27. “L’amore è cieco.”
English: “Love is blind.”
Meaning: If you love someone, you cannot see that person’s flaws and faults.
28. “A buon intenditor poche parole.”
English: “A nod’s as good as a wink.” Literally, “Few words to a good listener.”
Meaning: This Italian proverb is used to mean that explaining something further is not needed because what has been told, albeit indirectly, is already understood.
29. “Non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco.”
English: “Not all donuts come out with a hole.”
Meaning: This Italian saying means everything will go as planned.
30. “O mangi questa minestra o salti dalla finestra.”
English: “Take it or leave it.” Literally, “Either eat this soup or jump out of the window.”
Meaning: It means either accept something without any change or refuse it; no better offer will come than the one that is already made.
31. “La povertà è la madre di tutte le arti.”
English: “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Literally, “Poverty is the mother of all arts.”
Meaning: It means that when the necessity for something becomes crucial, one is forced to find ways to achieve it.
32. “La pazienza è la virtù dei forti.”
English: “Patience is a virtue.”
Meaning: This Italian proverb means that it is a good trait to be able to tolerate something that takes a long time.
33. “Quando il gatto non c’è i topi ballano.”
English: “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.” Literally, “When the cat is not there, the mice dance.”
Meaning: It means that it’s natural for people to take advantage of the absence of authority to do as they please.
34. “A caval donato non si guarda in bocca.”
English: “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
Meaning: It has to do with being grateful. Do not find fault with something that has been given to you as a gift or favor.
This Italian saying came from the fact that horses grow more teeth as they develop.
A horse’s age and health are determined by examining their teeth. So when purchasing a horse, buyers check its mouth to make sure it’s young and healthy.
So the proverb says don’t be rude. Do not check the quality of the gift you have received in front of the person who’s given it to you.
35. “Chi troppo vuole nulla stringe.”
English: “Grasp all, lose all.” Literally, “He who wants all, will hold nothing.”
Meaning: If you are too greedy and try to grab too much, you’ll end up getting nothing. It means that a person who wants everything may lose it all.
36. “Dai nemici mi guardo io, dagli amici mi guardi Iddio.”
English: “I will protect myself from my enemies, may God protect me from my friends.”
Meaning: This Italian proverb means you can protect yourself from your enemies because you expect whatever bad or evil they might do. This is not the case with friends who will betray you.
37. “Il meglio deve ancora venire.”
English: “The best is yet to come.”
Meaning: According to this Italian saying, whatever good is happening now will be surpassed by something even better in the future.
38. “Tutto fumo e niente arrosto.”
English: “All bark and no bite.”
Meaning: It means full of talk and low on action. This refers to people who are verbally aggressive, but not willing to engage in a fight.
39. “Mal comune, mezzo gaudio.”
English: “A trouble shared is a trouble halved.” Literally, “Common bad, half rejoice.”
Meaning: Sharing your troubles or problems by talking or discussing them with someone else helps to alleviate them.
40. “Quel ch’è fatto, è fatto.”
English: “What’s done is done.”
Meaning: This Italian saying means that something is finished or final and there is no changing it.
41. “A ogni uccello il suo nido è bello.”
English: “Home sweet home.” Literally, “To every bird, his own nest is beautiful.”
Meaning: Simply put, there’s no place like home.
42. “Chi fa da sé, fa per tre.”
English: “If you want a thing done right, do it yourself.”
Meaning: This Italian saying is warning against delegating tasks to others because you are the best judge about a thing concerning you. So if you want a job done exactly the way you want it, you should do it yourself.
43. “Avere le mani in pasta.”
English: “To have a finger in every pie.” Literally, “To have your hands in the dough.
Meaning: If you’re a person with a finger in every pie, it means you are involved in a lot of things.
44. “Chi non fa, non falla.”
English: “He who makes no mistakes, makes nothing.”
Meaning: It means that a person who is so careful that he never makes a mistake is likely to achieve nothing.
45. “Necessità non ha legge.”
English: “Necessity knows no law.”
Meaning: It means being desperate and having no means may lead one to do unlawful things.
46. “A chi dai il dito si prende anche il braccio.”
English: “Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.” Literally, “Give them a finger and they’ll take an arm.”
Meaning: This Italian proverb is used as a warning that when you make a small concession, people can and take advantage of you.
47. “Il fine giustifica i mezzi.”
English: “The end justifies the means.”
Meaning: Any methods, good or bad, are allowed in order to achieve something.
48. “Le bugie hanno le gambe corte.”
English: “Lies have short legs.”
Meaning: Quite simply, it means that lying will get you nowhere. Lies can only go so far. You can’t get away with lies; the truth will always come after you.
49. “Aiutati che Dio t’aiuta.”
English: “God helps those who help themselves.” Literally, “Help yourself so that God will help you.”
Meaning: This saying emphasizes the importance for people to take self-initiative and be self-sufficient.
50. “Chi nasce tondo non può morir quadrato.”
English: “Old habits die hard.” Literally, “Those who are born round, can’t die square.”
Meaning: This Italian saying means it is hard to stop doing things that one has been doing for so long.
51. “Vecchi peccati hanno le ombre lunghe.”
English: “Old sins cast long shadows.”
Meaning: This Italian proverb means that wrongdoings have long-term consequences. Today’s bad deeds may come to haunt you in the future.
52. “Al cuore non si comanda.”
English: “The heart wants what it wants.” Literally, “The heart can’t be commanded.”
Meaning: This Italian saying means that when love comes, you can’t control it.
53. “Dopo la pioggia, arriva il sole.”
English: “After the rain comes the sunshine.”
Meaning: It means there is calm after a big calamitous event, and things are bound to get better.
54. “Piove sul bagnato.”
English: “When it rains, it pours.” Literally, “it rains on wet ground.”
Meaning: Contrary to #53, this Italian proverb means things aren’t likely to get better soon. This proverb is used to describe a situation in which something bad happens after another and the situation seems unlikely to change. It’s bad luck after bad luck after bad luck.
However, the saying can be used for positive things as well, like when you’re on a hot streak and you keep winning on the lottery or something.
55. “Il pane apre tutte le bocche.”
English: “Bread opens all mouths.”
Meaning: Food is a sure magnet for juicy conversations!
56. “Il buongiorno si vede dal mattino.”
English: “A good day starts in the morning.”
Meaning: This Italian proverb is about a favorable or promising beginning. It can be interpreted to mean both as short- or long-term. A great morning is a good way to start your day. In children, starting early in life can mean a higher chances of success as an adult.
57. “La mela non cade mai lontana dall’albero.”
English: Literally, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Meaning: Children take after their parents, in the way they think and behave.
58. “Ride bene chi ride ultimo.”
English: “Who laughs last, laughs best.”
Meaning: This saying warns against celebrating in advance.
59. “Il pesce puzza sempre dalla testa.”
English: Literally, “The fish always stinks from the head.”
Meaning: This Italian saying is business jargon that means that when a company is struggling, it’s likely the result of bad leadership. This originated in the idea that a fish’s head rots first before the rest of its body.
60. “In bocca chiusa non entra mosca.”
English: “No flies enter a closed mouth.”
Meaning: If you have nothing good or meaningful to say, shush it.